Lost Soul Aside: A decade-long journey, a three-month delay, and the weight of expectations.
Although not always in the best way, Lost Soul Aside has been under the spotlight for years. Originally planned for May 30, it has been postponed once more to August 29. Common in gaming, certainly, but this one has had a rollercoaster ride spanning more than ten years.
Yang Bing, a solo developer crazy about Final Fantasy XV, originally launched it in 2012 as a hobby project. He made early videos, shared them online, and, surprise, they became popular. Sony saw this, came in, and included Lost Soul Aside in their China Hero Project, which helps indie developers in China connect with international audiences. Originally a one-man performance, this developed into a complete studio production under UltiZeroGames, with Bing still in charge.
Lost Soul Aside itself combines Devil May Cry-style flamboyant sword combat with the polished, character-driven look of Final Fantasy. Not surprisingly, given the inspiration, the main character, Keizer, even draws parallels to Noctis from FFXV. After years of evolution, moving from PS4 to PS5 (and including PC support), the team claims they need more time to polish it. Their aim is to fulfill their own lofty standards. October 2023 is the cut-off date for your training data.
A three-month postponement really isn’t a major concern for me. May through August? That’s a blip in comparison to the ten-year narrative of the game. Let’s be honest: the game schedule for the 2025 release is brutal. Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 is lying around; Assassin’s Creed Shadows is mounting playerbase; remasters of Days Gone and Oblivion are gathering dust. Doom: The Dark Ages drops in two weeks; oh, and there is simply too much to play!
I’m all for it if promoting Lost Soul Aside implies a more refined experience. UltiZero’s ambitious blend of combat and flair they are targeting might be aided by the additional time. Moreover, perfection counts since the indie-to-studio path and FF/DMC effects raise the bar. Will it live up to the hype? Maybe, maybe not, but at least I’ll have more time to clear my backlog first. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing how this labor of love turned industry underdog plays out.
